Cerebral palsy diagnosis in children over age 1 year: standard criteria

Abstract

Cerebral palsy is a nonprogressive disorder of movement and posture that often has nonmotor findings associated with it. However, a specific number of clinical motor findings is required to make the diagnosis. These clinical motor abnormalities can be grouped into 6 Major Motor Categories: (1) Postures and Movement Patterns; (2) Oral Motor Patterns; (3) Strabismus; (4) Tone of Muscles; (5) Evolution of Postural Reactions and Landmarks; and (6) Deep Tendon, Infantile and Plantar Reflexes. In this retrospective chart study of 60 children with handicaps over age 1 year, a child with abnormalities in 4 or more of these Major Motor Categories is likely to have been given the diagnosis of cerebral palsy. A child with abnormalities in less than 4 Major Motor Categories was unlikely to have the diagnosis of cerebral palsy. The distinction between the 2 groups was significant at the 0.0001 level. This suggests that once progressive diseases and syndromes with a cerebral palsylike motor component are excluded, a child with abnormalities in 4 or more Major Motor Categories may be classified as having cerebral palsy.